The inclusion of inflatable safety restraint devices, or airbags, is now a legal requirement for many new vehicles. Airbags are typically installed in the steering wheel and in the dashboard on the passenger's side of a car. Additionally, airbags may be installed to inflate beside vehicle occupants to provide side impact protection, in front of the knees to protect the knees from impact, or at other strategic locations.
In the event of an accident, a sensor system within the vehicle senses an impact situation and triggers the ignition of an inflator. Inflation gases from the inflator fill the airbag cushions, which immediately inflate to protect the driver and/or passengers from impact against the interior surfaces of the vehicle. During normal vehicle operation, airbags are typically stowed behind covers to protect them from tampering and provide a more attractive interior facade for the vehicle.
Passenger side frontal impact airbags are often installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle. Often, such airbags are installed on an upper surface of the instrument panel. The inflator is installed within the panel and is disposed such that inflation gas flows upward to cause the cushion to expand upward. The folded cushion and the inflator are typically packaged within a housing that keeps the cushion folded and retains the inflator and cushion during deployment. The housing is typically formed of sheet metal or the like.
Unfortunately, the housing adds significantly to the cost of the airbag module. The housing must typically be formed separately from other module components, thereby requiring the use of separate manufacturing steps. Additionally, the inflator and the cushion must be inserted into and attached to the housing with procedures that can be relatively time consuming and labor intensive. The housing also adds weight to the airbag module, thereby adding to the overall weight and fuel consumption of the vehicle. Thus, currently available airbag housing technologies have a number of disadvantages.